The annual meeting of the Council of Administration of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel was held in Dakar, Senegal, from 19 to 23 February.
With the collaboration, in particular, of the Italian Episcopal Conference, of the German Episcopal Conference and of the local Church, the Foundation carries out, in the name of the Holy Father, projects to fight desertification, for the management and development of agricultural units, for water pumping, for the improvement of drinking water and renewable energy, all in favor of the communities of its member countries (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal). It also deals with training specialized technical personnel, who can put themselves at the service of their countries.
During the meeting, projects awaiting financing were examined; the number of approved projects in 2017 was 127; as of 2016, the projects financed amounted to over 3,200.
Over the years, the Foundation has also been able to foster interreligious dialogue: the majority of its beneficiaries, in fact, are Muslim.
Msgr. Segundo Tejado Muñoz, Under-Secretary, took part in the meeting for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.